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SKI SURVEY December/January 1992

RESORTS INSTRUCTIONAL COURSES

Les Gets

When snow is sparse you can make the most of your skiing holiday with top tuition. Tessa Coker attended a Hugh Monney (British Alpine Ski School) clinic whilst staying with Ski Total in Les Gets

In the Portes du Soleil you are spoilt for choice. Having already stayed in Avoriaz, Chatel and Champery I was keen to try a different resort in the network and settled on Les Gets.

There is plenty of offpiste in Les Gets after a dumping of snow

Two major factors influenced my decision: tour operator and ski instructor. Les Gets is Ski Total’s flagship, with six chalets. I stayed in the Cles des Champs, more like an hotel with a veritable army of girls to look after you. I knew that The British Alpine Ski School was in the Portes du Soleil. On learning

that Co-Director Hugh Monney was based in Les Gets I wasted no more time and booked a clinic.

Hugh wrote and presented Channel 4 ski series, The Complete Skier. He trains ski instructors, both BASI (British Association of Ski Instructors) and ASSI (Artificial Ski Slope Instructor).

Most clients on the clinic were ASSI or trainee BASI so the standard was high. Courses can be booked in advance (see Ski Facts) or you can slot in (subject to space) when you arrive.

Les Gets has two separate ski areas, Les Chavannes and La Turche, Nyon and the Pleney side of Morzine (Super-Morzine joins Avoriaz). Mont Chery covorts both southerly and northerly aspects of the mountain down to Col de l’Encrenaz.

The Cles des Champs is spitting distance from Chery, which at the time I was in Les Gets (mid-March 1991) had the best snow in its “back bowls”. A little train runs between the two base stations every 20 minutes or so. The walk from the chalet to the bottom of Les Chavannes is, however, no distance.

There was insufficient snow to link with Morzine so most skiers were belining bus for Avoriaz where, although snow was plentiful due to higher altitude, the slopes were overcrowded.

Hugh made modern snowcover so amusing each descent was like a new experience. When you are being well taught there is so much to concentrate on that mileage becomes less important.

Hugh has a background in science which helps him understand skiing mechanics. Hugh does not blind you with it, using instead simple analogies related to everyday life such as cars to explain shock absorption and the concept of turning and tilting simultaneously.

SKI SURVEY December/January 1992

You know how sometimes you have a bad day and ski like a wally? Ask yourself where you are on your arousal curve (see diagram). This has a direct effect on performance. Try to maintain optimum arousal. If you are under-aroused sing a snappy song (Hugh chooses Tina Turner) or imagine an aggressive racer like Girardelli. To calm yourself down hum something soothing or imagine a bubbling brook. Whatever works for you.

“Tell us how to ski this sticky stuff”, I pleaded with Hugh, “I was all over the place this morning.” A sprinkling of wet snow had fallen overnight onto mud and slush.

“Avoid base contact with the snow because the skis will stick, edge both – tilt them together – and adjust your balance by dropping the outside arm. Try to slide the foot forwards, balancing over the arches. Momentum will help to get some speed up and be mean to the mountain – give it some welly!”

Hugh had asked us all at the beginning of the week what weak points were. Moguls came top of a vote we’d done on compression turns. The simplest of “top-

turn, one rail” tips was most useful (I still say it myself when the going gets tough). “Don’t turn the skis too sharply,” advised Hugh, “take your time and control your speed.” He made us ski the moguls as slowly as possible with illuminating results.

For a relatively small ski resort Les Gets has impressive amenities including a large outdoor ice rink and impressive health & fitness centre. A rustic village glowing with ambience, it is clearly an alpine community, reflected by the shops lining its two main streets. On Thursday mornings designer fashion garments to seriously smelly local cheeses are on sale. On Thursday and Sunday crowds throng the street markets, many shouldering skis. Evenings are busy, too. Don’t miss a pizza in the Schuss (main street below the bubble) where the spicy oil is plonked on your table in a baby’s feeding bottle, teat and all. The local scene at 12 rings loud above (close to the Pic des Champs), where the resort staff congregate. Ski Total’s aim is personal service in rural settings with access to extensive skiing. It is not difficult to understand why Les Gets is a favourite. I particularly enjoyed the Mont Chery area. It was quieter, with lovely views especially from the terrace of the Belvedere restaurant overlooking Mont Blanc, Les Dents du Midi and Dents Blanches. Higher up another restaurant, Le Solerey, houses a little alpine museum with a collection of old ski equipment, posters from all the Winter Olympics; old photos covering the history of skiing and of the local area. At the bottom of the far side of Mont Chery there’s a creperie, La Chanterelle, where we sampled wild mushrooms.

Although attending the clinic in the afternoons, I managed to join the Ski Total guide one morning when he was showing clients the Chavannes/Turches areas. Mark (Easy/Ryder) is an excellent skier. He loves Les Gets. “There’s so much skiing here, so many alternative routes even for the experts – it’s brilliant after a snowfall.” This was his second season. “I didn’t learn half of it last year. You can’t ski Les Gets in a week – not everywhere.” Mark had also taken the opportunity to ski with Hugh. “I learnt more in two hours than I had in years."

SKI SURVEY December/January 1992

This must be keeping you busy!! But such value for money!!

RESORTS INSTRUCTIONAL COURSES

It was an excellent week full of positive feedback. Not once did Hugh tell any of us we were wrong. We were not without fault, of course, but he avoided negative reinforcement, preferring to find ways to help us improve. I was certainly riding on the crest of my arousal curve.

Complete Skier Courses, groups max 8: int/adv 22hrs/day x 5, £70; beginners 2hrs/day x 6, £65. British Alpine Ski School, Hugh Monney, 34 Orchard Close, New Denham, Uxbridge, Middx UB9 4BB; tel: 0895 217003. This season BASS will also be operating in Chatel and the Chamonix Valley (031-555 1717); La Clusaz (02796 53746); Morzine (0895 271703). See end of resorts section for list of other tour operators featuring Les Gets.